Stay on target

If you’ve never had the chance to get into the anime and manga epic that is Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, just know you’ve missed out on a lot. That’s an understatement, considering there’s over 100 million copies in print and a successful anime adaptation that fans are absolutely in love with. While there are currently eight different parts out in the wild of the manga series, with JoJolion the most recent story arc, the anime series is further behind, back on the fourth season, Diamond is Unbreakable. The next adaptation up will be Vento Aureo, but if you’re interested in jumping on the Jojo bandwagon, you’ve got to start at the very beginning.

The first Blu-ray set from Viz is Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Set 1: Phantom Blood and Battle Tendency, and it contains the first 26 episodes of the anime, combining both Phantom Blood and Battle Tendency arcs, which introduce two very different Jojos: Jonathan Joestar and Joseph Joestar. Jojo’s “gimmick” is that each of the protagonists are all named Jojo, or at least differing versions of it, with first and last names that can be combined to sound like “Jojo” or similar to it. You’ll meet several descendants all in the Joestar family as this sprawling epic wears on, and it only gets better as it continues.

The first season, Phantom Blood, introduces you to the malevolent Dio Brando, one of the main series villains and ne’er-do-wells you’ll learn to hate fairly early on. Just a note, get used to that smug face, because it’s not going to be going anywhere for a while. Beginning in the 1880s in Great Britain, Jonathan Joestar’s family adopts Dio Brando, whose only true goal is to take over as heir to the Joestar family and riches. When he can’t do this by simply being a jerk and doing as many heinous things as possible, he resorts to using an ancient stone mask, which transforms him into a vampire, then wreaks further havoc from there. Jonathan Joestar must master the art of “Hamon,” a special fighting style that utilizes energy in unique ways, to take him down.

But the story, of course, doesn’t end there. The second half of the first 26 episodes, the Battle Tendency arc, carries on the story through 1938, where the scenery switches to New York City. Joseph Joestar is the flamboyant, cocky grandson of Jonathan Joestar, a natural Hamon user. He’s faced with supernatural beings known as the Pillar Men, who want nothing more than to birth the “ultimate being” and bring about the end of the world. There’s also a whole lot more Hamon, if you can believe that. Shock and dismay!

Without getting into the specifics of both seasons, these two story arcs offer an appropriately strong beginning to an anime series that will ultimately become one of your favorites. Its bold color choices, gorgeous animation, and excellent characters will stick with you long after you’ve completed all 26 episodes, and leave you drooling for more. Unfortunately, the next arc, Stardust Crusaders, isn’t available on Blu-ray despite the fact that it’s finished airing on TV via Toonami and has a completed English dub.

This is a story that practically begs you to pick it up via subtitled streams or any way you can just so you can see what’s coming next. And as far as this particular set goes, it comes in a particularly attractive case that looks similar to the hardcover manga series that’s been released from the very beginning of the story as well. They look great on your shelf together.

If you’ve heard a lot about Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure and are curious about what goes on in the show or want to get caught up before the newest season begins, this is the best place to begin. With both English and Japanese audio, you can get to know the weird world of the Joestar family and all the lives they touch. Plus, these first two seasons feature Yes’s “Roundabout” as their ending themes, a tune you’ll be humming for months after the show ends. Don’t believe me? You’ll soon see.